Needle of knitting-looms



wM. BAMFORD, or IrSwicH, MASSACHUSETTS.

NEEDLE 0F KNITTINGFLOMSV.

specication of .Letters Patent No. 5,761, dated September .12, 1848.

To au 'whom 'it may concern Be vit known that I, WILLIAM BAMFoRmg of Ipswich, lin the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stocking- Looms; and yI do hereby declare that the `same are fully described and represented in the following specification and accompanyz' treme or pointed end of the conductor is' n infr drawings ires and references thereof.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1, exhibitsl a front elevation lof several needles and` sinkers of a rib stocking loom, having my improvements applied to them. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through one of the sinkers, and jacks, and madev to exhibit the Y positions of the `rib needles or hooks, and

the conductors of boththe plain stitch and rib needles. Fig. 3, denotes a top view of one of the plain stitch needles. Fig. 4, is a front view of one of the rib stitch hooksl and its conductor. Fig. 5, is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a vertical section thereof.

In Figs. 1 and 2, a, a, a, &c., denotera series of plain stitch needles, arranged together as they usually are in the common hand stocking loom. b, b, I), &c., are the movable sinkers, each of which is suspended to a jack c, as seen in Fig. 2. The rib stitch hooks or needles, are seen at d, d, &c., the series being disposed underneath the plain stitch hooks, and so as to be capable of being moved up between them, in the same manner as the rib needles and plain stitch needles are made to operate together in other machines heretofore in use.

My improvements consist in the application and use of a conductor to each of the plain stitch and rib stitch needles, in such manner as to enable me to carry on the process of knitting either plain or ribbed work, without the use of needles with long beards or points, and a presser or pressers, such as are generally used in the common plain and ribbed hand or power looms. My improvements are also applicable to what are denominated warp net machines, whether automatic or moved by hand. The conductor which I apply to each of the plain stitch needles, is seen at e, in-Fig. 2. It consists of a pointed wire or needle which is disposed under the needle a, and made t0 pass through it, or through a long slot or passage f, made vertically through it as seen in Fig. 3. In front of the said passage theneedlevis made with a small h ook g, as represented in the drawings. y

In the operation of knitting the conductor, e, is brought -forward and upward, through the back stitch on the needle a,

and over the loopfmade just in rear of the hook, g, by the sinkers on both sidesof the needle when they are depressed. The exand be directed by the former over the hookl g. I thus avoid the `use of any presser (such paratus `usually employed to operate it.y By doing away with the presser the wear and tear of the machine is very much reduced.

The4 liability of getting out of order, and requiring the loss of much time every day, to repair damage of the needles is kobviated.

The next part of my invention consists in the manner in which -I make each ofthe `as commonly used) and the treadle or ap 'i rib needles yor hooks, and apply to it, a A

conductor for the purpose of conducting the rib stitch over the hook and loop. For this purpose each rib needle d, is made of two thin plates of metal, as seen at h, ,in Fig.

of the needle, and when brought forward C on its fulcrum, to enter between theplates at the point of the hook, or to touch or nearly touch the point of the hook as occasion may require. When moved back on its fulcrum, the conductor arm is made to shut l or close into the space between the plates composingl the needle.

The lower arm of the lever '70, is bent in such manner, as to pass downward between a bar Z, which extends in front of it, and a l bar m, disposed in rear of it. The saidtwo bars Z and m, are to be connected together, so that when moved forward, or backward.

they will give a counter movement of the conductor, o n its fulcrum. The bars Z and m, are suspended to swing or spring bars n, o, seen in Fig. 1.

The lower or ribbed hooks are supported by a bar p, which is attached to the movable hand bar or leaf g, by which the sinkers are moved backward and forward, the said hand bar making part of the framewhi'ch de-y presses the sinkers. Consequently when the said frame and hand bar is elevated' in order to admit of the elevation of the sinkers above the loops, the rib stitch hooks areA carried up with it, and back of and above the loops, on y the previously formed or horizontal needles,

and when brought forward receive said loops, as in the common rib stocking frame. The conductors ofthe several ribl needles, are at this time thrown back into their needles.V When the rib needles are made to desjcend and carry the loops with them, the

Y plained.

that are well known to stocking weavers, and mechanicians, as they form no portion of'my improvements, but are used by me in a manner similar to that in which they have Abeen heretofore employed. I have endeavored to confine myself to a description of my particular and most important improvements, which having accomplished, I shall now proceed to point out what I claim as my invention.

Ivclaiml. The perforated hook or needle a, and the conductor e, in" `combination with one another and made to `operate together substantially as above Specified,

2. I also claim the conductor le in combination with the hooked rib needle d, `the whole being constructedand made to operate together substantially `as herebefore ex- In testimonytwhereof I have hereto set my signature .this sixteenth day of Septem ber, A. D. 1847. f

4 y WILLIAM BAMFORD.

vVitnesses:

WILnrAM BAMFORD, Junior, CHARLES KIMBALL.' 

